Spinning tongs



April 11, 1939-.

J. C. AYCOCK SPINNING TONG-S 4 Filed June 29, 1937 (Tamera ye ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to spinning tongs and is particularly related to casing tongs, such for example as are employed for the purpose of making up and breaking drill stems, casings and the like, in the drilling of oil or like wells.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a spinning tong of the character specified through which casing is passed into and out of the well and having means for gripping the casing combined with means for rotating the gripping means to spin the pipe.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for saving time in handling casing and for other uses where it is necessary to join threaded pipe sections together.

Broadly, the invention aims to supplant the hazardous and. laborious practice of winding a rope about the section of pipe to be spun and exerting pull thereon by a revolving cat-head.

The invention provides means for gripping the connection or pipe together with means for revolving the same and eliminates the possibility of injury to workmen which may result in serious bodily injury, as has often been the case with the above described method of winding a rope about the section of pipe.

With the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has particular reference to salient features of construction and arrangement of parts 30 which will be apparent from the following description, appended claim and annexed drawing.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section of my invention as applied to a pipe tool.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the device in the open position.

40 My invention, in the preferred embodiment i1- lustrated in the drawing, comprises an inner circumferential member 5 formed with a plurality of sections hinged together as at 6. A pair of the sections, adjacent each other, are provided with pipe engaging jaws 1 for gripping a pipe tool 20 or the like interposed therebetween.

The sections having the jaws 1 are secured together by means of a latch mechanism comprising a bolt 8 secured to the end of one section and 50 a pivoted member 9 secured in a recess in the abutting end of the other section. Said member is provided with an eccentric portion forming a tooth for engagement with the bolt 8 and a laterally extending arm having a loop formed on 55 the end thereof for receiving and securing the end of a cable l0 thereto.

Attached to the outer periphery of each of the sections of the circumferential member are spaced segmental drum sections forming a cable receiving drum ll. Suitable spacing members I2 secure the drum sections to the circumferential member sections. Cable supporting arms l3 are 5 attached to each tertiary member and are formed with laterally extending portions M which serve to prevent the cable from slipping downwardly off of the drum.

In operation, the parts being in the position 10 illustrated in Fig. 3, the sections 5 are manipulated to enfold them about the circumference of the pipe tool 20 and locked together by the latch mechanism, thus positioning the jaws in operating engagement with the tool. In 5 this position, one end of a length of cable is secured to the loop of the pivoted member 9 and wound about the drum. The opposite end of the cable is connected to a cat-head or the like (not shown) for operation therewith. 20

Obviously, when the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 2, pull exerted on the cable ID by means of the cat-head will cause the. drum to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow and the action of the jaws in gripping the tool 20 25 will rotate the tool therewith. Pull on the cable will cause the arm of the pivoted member 9 to urge the bolt and attached section into a clamping position about the tool relative to the other parts.

It is to be distinctly understood that various changes and modifications in construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

A device of the character described, comprising,

a circumferential member having jaw supporting sections, an intermediate section pivotally connecting one end of each of said jaw supporting sections together, jaws mounted on said jaw supporting sections, a drum surrounding all of said sections and having segmental portions, a locking device connecting the free ends of said jaw supporting sections together and fashioned with an arm extending beyond the outer periphery of said drum, spacers securing said portions to said sections, a cable connected to the outer end of said arm for maintaining said locking device in locked condition to secure said sections in a clamped condition about a work-piece and constituting an instrumentality for operating said drum, and laterally disposed fingers carried by said spacers subjacent said drum for maintaining said instrumentality in operating engagement with said drum.

JAMES C. AYCOCK. 

